to expect other parents to help tidy up after toddler group?

[noimnotbeingunreasonable]

DD2 and I go to a local toddler group in our village hall, run by a very sweet lady who provides a big box of toys, plus teas, coffees etc. At the end of the session, all the other mums just bugger off, leaving this poor woman to clean up. I help her, and so does my friend (who is 8 months pregnant and has 2 other children to deal with) but the rest of these lazy moos NEVER do.

Today my friend was hefting chairs all over the place, and she even had to ask a couple of women to move out of the way - you'd think they might lend a hand.

I've namechanged for this, as we live in a small village and I know at least one other mum there is a poster here... maybe if she reads this she'll get the hint!!!

So - am I being unreasonable?!

No This sort of thing sends my blood pressure up too. Some people expect an all-round service package and forget that the people running it are colunteers giving up their time. (Can you tell there's personal experience (not of toddler groups though) here?)

Try asking directly or, at the end of the session announce loudly "It's tidy up time!!"

volunteers of course.

At our toddler group, we have a tidy up time, then a collective sing song which the little ones love.

There is no way of getting out of tidying up without it being really obvious.

Most people want to stay for the singing and dancing, so everyone piles in and helps.

Would it be too much to make up a rota?? That way everyone has to take a turn

We used to get this too at the toddler group I was on the committee at. You could set your watch for the ones who would get up 5 minutes before the end and slink off. Eventually we put notices up on the doors in big bold lettering asking for everyone to help tidy up at the end - worked for a short while!

squonk and firefly's ideas are both good - suggest to teh woman who runs it taht she actively seeks help - or suggest structuring teh group so taht people have to - ime it makes for a more cohesive and inclusive gruop anyway - I much preferred going to groups where I helped than ones run by other people

yes
a perenneial prob in every toddler gouup
we did tidy up then songs at teh end

This used to happen at the tods group i went to. It finished at 3pm so some people undersstandably used to leave to pick up older sibs fro school, soon this was taken as sthe cue for everyone to leave and only the churchy ladies who helped run it and a couple of others were leftto tidy and wash up. Definately a vote for "tidy up time " announced loudly, and asking people to help. I used to hand people stuff and blatantly ask (politely of course!)please can you pput those bricks away. Can bet that now said chn are at school, they are prob the ones who leave the home corner in an almighty mess

The only way not to be at toddler groups I have found, is not to go to them.

My toddler group (at church) was run by 1 lady for 7 years and eventually she stopped because it all got too much. Now there are 2 leaders and 2 teams of helpers, all mums, 4-6 in each team, and we help set up and clear up on a fortnightly basis. It works much better now and nobody feels stressed out. If kids are ill and 1 or 2 of us can't make it, it doesn't matter. A lot of the other mums help clear up as well. We also have 2 older ladies who help make the tea.

It sounds like you need more people to help run it! Could you send round a letter asking for volunteers and explaining where the toys go? I think a few people would help if they knew where to put things. If 6 people spend 10 minutes clearing up that's an hour's work done in 10 minutes. Also, is the timing of the group convenient? A lot of people have to rush off by 12 to give kids their lunch, collect kids from preschool etc. If it was a bit earlier they might be able to stay. We had to change ours from 10-11.30 t0 10.30-12 because a lot of people couldn't get there for 10.00.

Basically it shouldn't be one person doing everything, it should be a team effort.

Hope this helps! Sorry it's long.

Another suggestion: could you keep all the ride-on toys in the cupboard and only get them out when all the other toys have been put away in the last 10 mins or so? This works brilliantly in our church creche. Everybody helps put the stuff away and then it only takes 5 minutes to put the ride-ons back in the cupboard. The kids have a nice clear space to ride around in and parents will stay long enough to a) help with the clearing up and b) let their children have a ride. Just a thought.

we used to have a rota for tea and coffee making and tidying up

it isnt fair that the same people do it all the time.